Left Hanging For Hours, Dog Dies In Daytona Beach

A report of animal cruelty came too late Tuesday for a German shepherd in Daytona Beach who died after hanging by his legs from a fence for more than three hours.

An anonymous caller first saw the dog about 6:30 a.m. but did not report it to the Halifax Humane Society until 10 a.m. The caller did not want to ''get involved,'' said society spokeswoman Lisa Barton-Siegel.

Someone wrapped rope around the dog's hind legs and suspended them about 3 inches, Barton-Siegel said.

The dog had deep bruises and abrasions from struggling to free himself.

''This dog really suffered,'' she said.

The dog, a young adult male, died minutes after a cruelty investigator arrived at the house on 905 Lockhart St., Barton-Siegel said. The dog might have died from the heat, from internal injuries or from stress, she said.

The owner died recently, but her daughters have been making regular trips to the house to care for the shepherd and other pets, Barton-Siegel said.

The daughters had not yet visited the house when the investigator arrived, she said. Two other dogs and at least four cats remain in the daughters' care. All are well taken care of, said Barton-Siegel.

Anyone with information can call the Humane Society at (904) 274-4703.